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Description

HECKINGTON CHURCH STREET TF 1444-1544 (east side) 10/52 Church of St. Andrew 1/2/67 G.V. I Parish church. c.1307, later C14, restored in 1867 by Kirk and Parry and in 1887-8 by J. Fowler of Louth. Limestone ashlar, Westmorland slate and lead roofs. West tower and spire, clerestoried nave, north and south aisles, transepts, chancel, south porch and north chapel. Tall 3 stage tower with moulded chamfered plinth, stepped and gabled setback buttresses, moulded string courses, plain parapet. Set back spire with tall angle buttresses, 3 tiers of gabled lucarnes in alternating directions. In the belfry stage are tall 2 light louvred openings with deeply moulded pointed surrounds and quatrefoils. In the lower parts of the buttresses are crocketted gabled nichescontaining statues. Tall 3 light west window with cusped trefoil heads to the lights with trefoils and quatrefoils over in a moulded pointed surround, the arch dying into the reveals. Above are 2 plain rectangular lights. The north aisle has a chamfered plinth and a plain parapet with stepped setback buttresses. It contains 3 light reticulated traceried windows, one to the west and 3 to the south, also a pointed doorway with moulded head dying into the reveals. The clerestory has 4 three light windows with tight reticulated tracery to the heads and chamfered pointed surrounds. The north transept has a large 5 light C19 window to the north with C19 cusped geometric tracery and chamfered surround. To the east are 2 three light windows with reticulated tracery matching that of the clerestory. In the eastern most bay of the nave are 2 C14 windows. The lower is of 3 lights with cusped mouchettes, the upper is also of 3 lights with goemetric tracery to the head. Both have wave moulded surrounds. The chancel has a bell moulded plinth and an openwork-parapet with sinuous cusped tracery beneath which is a concave moulded string course with fleurons. The crocketted gabled buttresses contain ogee headed statue niches, also with crocketted gables and human head stops. The nave wall has 2 three light C14 windows with elaborate cusped mouchettes and quatrefoils to the heads, both with wave moulded surrounds. The lower north chapel also has a moulded plinth with gabled niches as well as tall panelled octagonal crocketted pinnacles. Beneath is a crypt lit by 2 plain rectangular windows. In the west wall is a C19 pointed doorway and to the north is a recut 2 light window with cusped ogee heads to the lights. In the east wall a pointed 2 light window with cusped Y tracery lights the crypt and above is a C19 window, also of 2 lights, with stiff mouchettes. The chancel east window is tall and broad of 7 slender lights and in its head is a virtuoso display of intersecting cusped tracery with daggers, mouchettes, quatrefoils and lozenges in the wildest profusion. The north wall of the chancel contains 3 light windows, tall with pointed heads containing daggers and quatrefoils, each with a moulded surround. There is also an ogee headed priest's door with floriate finial. In the easternmost bay of the nave two windows balance those to the north, there is also an ornate octagonal pinnacle with richly crocketted gables. The south transept has 2 three light geometric traceried windows to the east with pointed wave moulded surrounds. The buttresses are gabled with richly crocketted statue niches and projecting human headed stops. To the north is a large 5 light window with beautiful cusped flowing tracery forming mouchettes, trefoils and quatrefoils, all in a wave moulded surround. The south aisle has 3 three light reticulated traceried windows in chamfered pointed surrounds and a plain parapet. The clerestorey has 3 windows of 3 lights with geometric tracery to the pointed heads. At the west side is a narrow 4 centred arched doorway with chamfered surround. The gabled south porch has a moulded plinth and set back angle buttresses with richly crocketted niches and floriate finials. The pointed and richly moulded outer arch has triple shafted reveals. In the gable are statues and shields against a background of seaweed carving with a cusped sinuous motif framing panels with a recut Christ in Majesty at the centre. Side benches and original cross braced roof timbers in the porch. The inner doorway has a moulded pointed head and single shafted reveals. Above is a statue bracket with carved foliage. The C19 door is enriched with cusped tracery. Interior: tall triple chamfered tower arch with filleted triple responds and annular capitals. 4 bay north and south nave arcades, octagonal with quirked angles and engaged annular capitals, double chamfered arches with human head label stops. There are single similar lower arches-into the transepts. In the south transept is a triple sedilia with cusped and moulded arches supported on circular shafts with foliate capitals. Beyond is a trefoil headed piscina and an armorial statue bracket. In the east wall is a plain rectangular aumbry. In the east wall of the north transept is a single triangular headed niche. The tall chancel arch has a double wave moulded head and engaged triple filleted reveals with engaged annular capitals. The richly furnished chancel has on the south side a triple sedilia and a double piscina, and on the north an Easter sepulchre, a doorway to the north chapel and the builder's tomb. The large triple sedilia has cusped ogee arches supported on moulded piers with foliate capitals. Above are crocketted gablets with ballflowers against a background of seaweed carving. In the upper parts of the rectangular frame are carvings of Christ in Majesty, the Blessed Virgin Mary and saints. The double piscina has cusped ogee arches in the manner of reticulated tracery. Paried engaged side shafts support a crocketted canopy with large floriate knop and seated human figure label stops. The Easter sepulchre, one of the most celebrated English examples, consists of a small triangular central niche in a tripartite stone framework. The panels are framed by roll moulded shafts terminating in pinnacles. below the niche the Sleeping Soldiers recline beneath crocketted gables. To either side are pairs of figures and above the Risen Christ is attended by censing angels. This last scene is also contained within a crocketted gable from which sinuous strapwork friezes run down to either side. The upper panels are filled with seaweed carving and overall is a cornice with monsters. to the left of the Easter sepulchre is the door to the north chapel which has a richly moulded slightly pointed head dying into the reveals. Beyond again is the tomb of Richard de Potesgrave, builder of the chancel. It is a broad moulded and pointed tomb recess with elaborate ogee cusping to the underside. The effigy is clad in full vestments, but the face has been despoiled. The edge of the slab supporting the effigy has a hollow chamfer containing ballflowers with brattishing. Fittings: C19 limestone ashlar and marble reredos in C14 style with triple cusped ogee arches and crocketted gables flanked by blind cusped arcades. Otherwise all fittings are C19 apart from the fine C14 font which is of octagonal tub form with cusped and crocketted gabled arches to the panelled sides with a zone of fleurons above and 3 circular steps beneath. A notable stained glass east window of 1897 by T. F. Curtis illustrates the Te Deum and the Benedicite. There is other glass dated 1915 by Curtis, Wood and Hughes dated 1909 in the chancel and in the nave and yet more in the south transept dated 1922. Monuments: apart from the de Potesgrave tomb in the chancel, there is a C14 effigy to a civilian in the north transpet. The figure appears as a praying bust in a quatrefoil surround. Also in the north transept is a matrix for a double brass to a C15 knight and lady with armorials, and in the north aisle a slab with marginal black letter inscription. There are 2 similar C15 slabs in the central aisle before the chancel arch. Listing NGR: TF1428844117

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